Books, Tea, and a Cat

Christian. Bookish. Pro-life. Enjoys tea, cottagecore, faeries, villain/monster romance. Mordred apologist. Embroidery artist. Chronically ill. Icon by thenuyarts.

[crafteroftheforesthearth]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

Okay. I finished this on Saturday, and I'm still emotionally devastated. I can't stop thinking about it. I can't believe how quickly I sailed through this 1000+ page epic. Not once did it slow down. The way SenLinYu crafted such a layered, complicated story was incredible. I couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful it was even as it continually broke my heart. The gentle way they handled such personal horrors. What I loved most, though, is how it subverted my every expectation. The world isn't saved, and yet it kind of is.

The entire book is a criticism of how countries who aren't at war allow incredible atrocities and then swoop in too late in order to act as heroes, but are really just there for the spoils, unwilling to provide meaningful help to survivors. It is a criticism of never questioning your beliefs or authority figures, even as you watch those you care about suffer. A criticism of upholding myth at the cost of human lives.

If you're interested in my full thoughts on this book, click Alchemised.

[giggling-kitten]

I love this quilt pattern so much. I love how it works with modern and vintage prints. Cutting the fabric is a lot of work, but the end result is so satisfying

[lovelyfawnxx]

“He’d loved her, even though he never expected them to be anything but doomed. He’d loved her all the same.”

Characters from Alchemised by @senlinyu

🎨 art by @minart1405

🥀 commissioned by @theseersgarden and @lovelyfawnxx

[incorrectfantasyquotes]

Luc: life is full of ups and downs

Helena: you guys have ups?

[gothredy]

[lastblueroses]

Hello, i hope that all is well.

I was wondering, will you be making and releasing more art of Jon and Sansa? The ones made so far have been great!

Hi! Ty it's so nice to hear from you :) I've been stuck on this wip for too long and I lost momentum booo

But the idea of Sansa going to KL with an army to rescue Jon makes me so 🥺

[ekbelsher]

The back cover/flap for the Illumicrate edition of A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid. It's the sequel to her YA dark academia fantasy, A Study in Drowning :)

[quillnqueer]

[brickbybrickstitch]

Not embroidery related, but I made a vest!

This is a very important piece to me. I got someone’s quilt scraps (a bunch of pre cut squares with this pattern on it) and was thrilled. The pattern on it is for a wedding ring quilt, which my family has adopted as our “family quilt”. Most women in my family have made one, and I’ve been looking for a piece of wardrobe to honor the craftswomen in my family by using the motif. I hope one day to make a skirt from an actual wedding ring quilt if I can find one I can stand to cut up. But this was a lovely surprise! patched together the squares as best I could to make this. It isn’t perfect, but it’s mine and I adore it.

[die-rosastrasse]

I'm almost done with my largest crochet project, so here's a couple details from behind the scenes 🌿🌙

[bears-picking-berries]

Me stressed out: :(

Cottage-core:🐞✨🥖🐄🌿🐓🍞

Me: :) hm ig the world isn’t THAT bad

[elwenyere]

-- Ted Chiang, from "Why A.I. Isn't Going to Make Art"

[oldshrewsburyian]

I'm so glad they got Ted Chiang -- a wonderful writer of science fiction and thinker about technology, in my opinion -- to write this essay. My favorite line was this:

Generative A.I. appeals to people who think they can express themselves in a medium without actually working in that medium.

[olreid]

oh i'll go NUTS

[antigonick]

Ingrid Geerken, "'The Dead Are Not Annihilated': Mortal Regret in Wuthering Heights"

[orthodoxadventure]

Testimonies where people talk about how God saved them from things such as addiction, or cured them of cancer or depression, are all very moving and beautiful testimonies. I love to see the joy and passion that these people have when they recount their feeling of the grace of God pulling them into a more happier place.

But I also think about the guy from my Church who has a rotating team of carers that help him with his mobility, chronic pain, and day to day living. And how through him, these people get exposure to daily Church Services, they get exposure to his prayer life and his love of God. I know that from personal experience, people who know that I suffer from chronic pain and mental health issues, that I am a victim of rape and sexual abuse and are therefore more willing to hear me out on the faith. And through that, do their own exploring.

If you are someone that is suffering from mental or physical health conditions, if you struggle with addiction, if you are someone that has suffered from traumatic circumstances (or are still actively living through them), you are not letting God down by not having a testimony of being saved from those things. Because the fact that you still have faith in God (no matter how complicated) is a beautiful testimony in itself.

And please do not feel like you ever have to share your testimony, your story is yours to share or not to share, you are not letting God down either way. But please understand that you are a beautiful and wonderful witness to the faith. God knows what you have been through, God knows what you are going through. He knows your testimony in all its glory. You do not have to pretend to be in a different place mentally to be a good witness to the faith. And other people seeing that there's people with similar health conditions, or similar life circumstances to them, that have a beautiful relationship with God makes it feel even slightly more possible for them. It gives other people hope. And hope is a wonderful and beautiful thing.

[doodleoo]

The God if heaven's armies is surely capable of working through any circumstance, even the worst situation you can imagine yourself in. There is no corner of your life he does not see and that he cannot use for the glory of his kingdom! Every day I struggle with the fear of never regaining my health, but I have been massively comforted (and will be in the future) by the knowledge that I can be healed for God's glory *but* this illness can also be used for God's glory. You are not alone, you are not useless, because the One working through you is limitless in power and endless in mercy, grace and love.

[highreeveofspirefell]

💌💕💕

@forgcttenhealer ❤️

[kurro-kohi]

[dame-nostalgique]

Last February 💘